


Saudade

by solitariusvirtus



Category: The Last Guardian (Video Game)
Genre: Gen, Reunion, happy endings
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-20
Updated: 2016-12-20
Packaged: 2018-09-10 14:35:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,205
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8920822
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/solitariusvirtus/pseuds/solitariusvirtus
Summary: Children do as children should and end up exploring haunted ruins. But among the rubble often lie precious memories and sometimes even more.





	

 

 

 

 

 

 

The night-sky flickered with the myriad of tiny lights, huge black clouds pulsating around a heavy round moon. A gust if wind played with the leaves, their dance graceful and charming to the chime of the bells. It was a wondrous night. One of those perfect ones when naught was wrong in the world.And naught could be. Except for one small detail.

 “I can’t sleep if you toss around,” a voice complained in a hushed whine. Small hands grabbed onto the equally slim limbs of a girl. “Don’t pretend; I can tell you are yet awake.”

One eye popped open, regarding the insistent pup. “It is none of your concern. Sleep,” the girl encouraged, offering the strength of a one-eyed glare.

“My sister, my concern,” came the whip-fast answer. “What’s wrong?” By then he was sitting up and pulling on her limb so she might do so as well. With a heavy sigh, the girl allowed herself to be hoisted up. Her glare intensified. “Charming. But that’s not a problem.”

“Aught is wrong. I can feel it.” At the disbelief upon her brother’s face, the girl was put before a stark dilemma. She could insist that she was not imagining her discomfiture, or she could leave the matters be.

As though hearing her thoughts, her kin turned to the hollowed shape in the wall. “We could always go for a walk.”

Nevermind the watcher. If father caught them there would be just as much trouble. But then they’d only been caught a few times. It was well-worth the risk. Especially given they could scale the walls if need be. In the end she gave a slight nod, glancing towards the door as well. The panels were tightly put together.

“Last one down’s a rotten egg,” she whispered to her brother, shooting up from her palette. He did the same, albeit a bit slower on account of his still-healing leg. She climbed over the other side through the large gap and began her track towards the smooth earth beneath. The wooden structure still bore the name of House of Sleep, appropriately set over the Home of the Sleeping.She tended to avoid the second one o n account of its overbearing smell and lack of light. It was too dark to even see one’s hands in front of one’s eyes.

Looking up she saw her twin was close on her heel, or palm, as it happened. “Is the leg alright?” she questioned when he hesitated.

 “Been better,” the child allowed, shimming to a thick protruding line of wood, grabbing hold with so much skill she would have sworn he was not human. But then, they’d shared a womb and many adventures. She could attest to him being just as human as she was.

His hand slipped. Instinctively, she kicked out her leg, digging her fingers into the wood. “Grab.” Her order did not go unheeded. A weight settled around her ankle and she lifted. It was gone just as soon. Reclaiming her position, the girl opened eyes she never knew she’d closed. “Too close, brother. Much too close.”

Skill or not, he had a tendency of taking unnecessary risks. Father thought so too. She scowled at his smiling face and dropped to the next beam. A rustle from below stopped her in her tracks. One glance was enough to confirm ‘twas none other but the guard, making his rounds. The man carried a torch in one hand and a spear in the other. He looked about with mild interest but never thought to check the side of the cavernous sleeping chamber.   

Her brother had seen him as well for he levelled with her and stopped completely, watching the man with as much attention as he gave to the scenery around him. They counted together in a game devised to maintain both composure and optimism, and allowed themselves a breath of relief when the man disappeared into the night, his torch marking the path he took.

They dropped the rest of the way, landing upon a blanket of green grass. “Team wins another point,” her brother jested, affectionately poking her in the ribs, “village is well behind. As always.” She giggled without meaning to. “Told you I could make you laugh.”

“You are the worst,” she pointed out, elbowing him I return, forcing her brother to swallow whatever it was he’d wished to say. “Come, before he returns.”

Her brother was slow to collect himself, a habit she could not seem to break him of, but managed to climb to his feet. She pointed to a gathering of trees, the unlit circle offering enough privacy that no one would interrupt unless they knew the two of them were there. Her kin nodded, holding onto her arm for support as he limped all the way there.

Ensconced in the intimate darkness of the tree-ring, they sat down in silence, offering their gratitude to the Great Heroes for seeing them safely to their destination. It took, as it always had, a few minutes. A habit picked up from the days when mother yet lingered about, but one much too ingrained to break at her departure. Only their breathing broke the silence, steam clouding the space between them.

She was the first to finish. Her eyes opened, training upon her brother as he silently rose as well. “It’s that thing father found,” she allowed at long last. “Couldn’t you feel it too?” The advantages of having a twin were unnumbered, but most of all it was the perfect understanding between them which counted as a blessing. A fine thing to have in a world such as their were little stood between life and death.

“I felt aught,” her twin admitted upon brief consideration. “As to what, I cannot say. It could be naught.”

“Or it could be important. You saw the circle of symbols.” A shake of the head greeted her words; not disbelief, but exasperation.

“No good ever comes of those,” he pointed out.

“It did for father. It could for the rest of us. If we’d just allow it. I know it could.” Once more her brother remained unconvinced. It was an old argument. What good would it do to begin it once more? “I want to go there and see for myself.”

“’Tis all gone. Even father does not believe the beast could have survived.” And father was adamant in his portrayal of a noble savage bound to him by friendship and affection. But she would not let father’s opinion deter her.

“Either you help me, or I go on my own. My mind has been made up.” His tired sigh failed to impress her. In return, she nudged his leg with her foot. “I know you want to see it too. It would be wondrous, would it not?”

“Until we fall to our doom from some unstable turret,” came the deadpan response. But she could feel him mellowing. “If I die, I’ll haunt you forever.”

“I’ll make certain you have a nice funeral,” she answered, “with plenty of food to see you to the House of the Sleeping. No need to haunt me.” His eyes narrowed. “So, are you joining me?”

“Anywhere, any time.” He touched a hand above his heart and murmured a few words she did not wish to think upon lest mother’s image come sweeping back to the forefront of her mind. Instead she mirrored his gesture.

“We will need food and water,” her brother prompted after a brief silence, “And spears.”

“We could take mother’s.” The wedding gift still hung upon the wall, stringed together roughly. “Father will know it’s us who took them and won’t worry too much.” A silent question followed. Wouldn’t he? The boy shrugged. She shrugged in return.

“Spears covered. What of food and drink? I could fit  bit in my satchel, but it would only last us so long.” Those things weren’t big enough to fit all the needed provisions even if they stuffed both their satchels full.

“Just take as much as you can. We can hunt for the rest of it. Or pick berries.” The spears would aid with that as much as aught else would. She nodded to her own thought and crossed her gaze with her brother’s. “The shield.”

“Nay. Father would not approve.” But then father would not approve of them gallivanting about the phantom temple either. They were still doing it. “If there is anything there, do you suppose it would aid?”

“It might.” Or it might get them both killed. Half the fun was finding out.

“Fine, but you’re the one taking that. And water.” She nodded her acceptance. “Don’t let the guard catch you,” she warned one last time, before slipping away from the cover of darkness.

The village was not very large and not even multiple generations of children had managed to extend it. Thus it stood to reason that she could sneak about without too much trouble. The guard she spied kneeling before the door of a hut, in conversation with a woman. His wife, she thought, a smile crossing her face. Guards did that all the time when they thought no one watched.

Just as well that they did though, else it would have been a lot harder to escape the rained gaze. She continued on her way, doing her best to put to good work the lessons in stealth she’d managed to garner up to that point. It was more than pleasing to know she could do it so well. For one brief moment she allowed herself to glance back, wondering where her brother might be. Just as soon her attention snapped firmly away, landing upon father’s hut.

She could quietly roll all the way there without the guard noticing, caught as he was in his wife’s gaze and smile. And it was just that she did. Not once allowing her gaze to slip from the threat, the girl followed through with her plan, reaching the animal pelt blocking the entrance with nary a hitch. She climbed to her feet. Loathe as she was to turn her back upon the guard, it did not seem he would catch her.

Entering the familiar place, she ducked her head, remembering one of the pans was still hanging high from the wall just before the door. Within light snores came from a large figure. The man slept, no doubt, eyes closed, mouth slightly parted. Father had no idea what his two children were up to. Just as well, he might try to stop them otherwise. Tiptoeing around the house, she searched through the darkness for the spears. Her palms pressed against the earthen walls, searching along the smooth frames until her hands met wood. Careful of any noise, she pulled the spears from their place and tucked them under her arms. The waterskin she found close by, thankfully not waking father. The shield was last.    

Making her way without, it became apparent she would not be as fortunate in her departure as she’d been in arrival. The guard was on the move once more, but he was heading for the Long Hall. Though she had to gather her courage in order to step out of the hut, the girl did so with only a small whimper. And then she was running back through the darkness, grass bending beneath her naked toes.

Before long she reached the line of trees, spears beneath her arm, waterskin held tight. Sitting down she calmed her erratic breathing, eyeing the encompassing darkness, wondering when her brother would arrive.

He did not keep her long in waiting. The boy dropped the satchels at her feet and reached for the waterskin. “I thought for certain the guard would catch me,” he rasped, gulping down a mouthful of water. “You are much better though. You’ll be able to take on an enemy army before long.”

The swift punch she delivered to his arm was met with only a faint protest. “Be thankful that he did not catch you. I would have had you skinned alive were I in his stead.”

“Oh cruel sister of mine, how you make my heart tremble in fear. One of these days I’ll repay you in the same coin and we’ll see how you like it.” He jabbed back for good measure.

“Promises, promises. You’ll have to do a bit more than words to convince me. But that is fine, dear brother, we’ve much time left.” He grunted in response and pushed against her, one hand managing to grab onto a spear. “You always were a sore loser.”

“Am not,” the other contradicted. “You are just not a graceful winner, is all.” The accusation garnered a glare from her. “Exactly my meaning. Not everything is about winning, twin.”

“Just everything that matters, twin,” she retorted.

His huff did not take her by surprise, but the stinging pain in her side did. She turned to berate him. “Do not. This was my challenge. Face it, or lose.”

“I reiterate, you are the worst.”

“So you keep telling me. I may end up believing you one day if you are not careful.”

“Praised be the Heroes. I cannot wait for the day.”  

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Saudade is a deep emotional state of nostalgic or profound melancholic longing for an absent something or someone that one loves. Moreover, it often carries a repressed knowledge that the object of longing might never return. [ Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saudade)


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